Container cover



Sept. 12,1967 c. L. LOVERCHECK 3,341,091

CONTAINER COVER Filed Oct. 23, 1965 INVENTOR. CHARLES L. LOVERCHECK United States Patent 3,341,091 CONTAINER COVER Charles L. Lovercheck, 632 W. 7th St., Erie, Pa. 16502 Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,881 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-532) This invention relates to closures and, more particularly, to dispensing closures used in condiment cans and the like wherein said cans contain foods packed under vacuum conditions.

Various types of cans for containing vacuum packed goods have been provided but all of these cans are difficult to open and to use.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an improved dispensing can.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved can for containing materials packed under vacuum conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing can which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a can closure according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view partly in cross section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the can cover showing the closure in open position and the flexible member removed therefrom; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the flexible member.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the can shown has a cover and a closure member 12 made of plate like material and having an intermediate portion and quadrantal-shaped legs which extend down into an opening 11. The closure member 12 has a flat intermediate part 31 between the legs thereof which has a tab indicated at 30 which rests on the cover 10 outward of the opening 11.

A flexible member 16 rests on and is attached to the flat part 31 of the closure member with the member 31 fitting tightly Within the hollow member 16. The flexible member 16 may have a built-in hinge 18 which is in the form of a groove formed in the flexible member that allows it to flex about a pin 13. The pin 13 rests in grooves 14 formed in the cover 10. Thus, the pin extends laterally from each side of the closure member 12 and rests in the groove and is held in place therein by means of pressure sensitive tape members 15 which overlie the outer ends of the pin. Thus, the closure member can be opened until stops 32 on it engage the underside of the cover adjacent the opening 11 to limit its upward position to the position shown in FIG. 3.

When the cover is closed, the tab 30 rests on the cover and the closure member is held in place by this tab and by the pins 13 against the differential in pressure due to a vacuum inside the container and atmospheric pressure on the outside. The flexible member 16 rests on top of the closure member 12 and the edges thereof are tapered at 19 so that the differential in pressure holds the flexible member sealingly against the top of the cover and seals against leakage. A groove 17 is formed in the flexible member 16 which can be engaged by a fingernail in order 3,341,091 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 to open the closure member against the differential in pressure. A trap chamber 20 can be provided of a suitable variety to aid in dispensing foods such as coffee or sugar from the container.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but it is understood that the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A cover for a container adapted to have the pressure therein reduced below the pressure on its outside comprising a cover member made of relatively rigid material and having a relatively flat top surface,

a generally rectangular opening in said member,

two grooves formed in said cover member in the top thereof,

one said groove being disposed at each side of said opening,

a closure member received in said opening,

said closure member having a plate like member of substantially the same size as said opening,

two legs attached to said closure member,

said legs entering said opening,

a pivot attached to said closure member and extending laterally from each side thereof,

the ends of said pivot being received in said grooves,

means on said closure member limiting its movement through said opening whereby said plate like closure member is generally flush with said cover member when in closed position, and a flexible sheet like member attached to said plate like closure member and having edges overlying said opening when said closure member is closed whereby a pressure on the outside of said flexible member greater than the pressure inside said container causes said flexible member to sealingly engage said cover member, said flexible member being made of a moldable plastic material having a built-in hinge molded therein,

said built-in hinge overlying said pivot and parallel thereto whereby said flexible member flexes along said built-in hinge.

2. The cover recited in claim 1 wherein said cover member is made of metallic material.

3. The cover recited in claim 1 wherein the peripheral edges of said flexible member are tapered outwardly and toward said cover member.

4. The cover recited in claim 3 wherein said flexible member has a recess therein of substantially the size and depth of said closure member and said closure member is received therein,

the portion of said flexible member around the entire periphery thereof being adapted to sealingly engage said cover member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,543 1/1918 Bretton 222-532 2,123,546 7/1938 Perkins 222-532 2,613,856 10/1952 Ely 222-364 2,891,703 6/1959 Hassler 222532 X 3,087,657 4/1963 Eckles 222-531 3,144,180 8/1964 Phillips et al. 222531 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COVER FOR A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO HAVE THE PRESSURE THEREIN REDUCED BELOW THE PRESSURE ON ITS OUTSIDE COMPRISING A COVER MEMBER MADE OF RELATIVELY RIGID MATERIAL AND HAVING A RELATIVELY FLAT TOP SURFACE, A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR OPENING IN SAID MEMBER, TWO GROOVES FORMED IN SAID COVER MEMBER IN THE TOP THEREOF, ONE SAID GROOVE BEING DISPOSED AT EACH SIDE OF SAID OPENING, A CLOSURE MEMBER RECEIVED IN SAID OPENING, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING A PLATE LIKE MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AS SAID OPENING, TWO LEGS ATTACHED TO SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID LEGS ENTERING SAID OPENING, A PIVOT ATTACHED TO SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM EACH SIDE THEREOF, THE ENDS OF SAID PIVOT BEING RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVES, 